In a highly competitive job market where the ability to work hard, contribute long hours and demonstrate value is at a premium, employees and hopefuls are vying mightily for paychecks. The extent to which they’ll go may put their own health, relationships and careers on the line.

A new Florida State University study outlines practical ways workaholics can stay both healthy and effective on the job, and how employers can help.

Wayne Hochwarter, the Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration in Florida State’s College of Business, and research associate Daniel Herrera studied more than 400 employees in professional and administrative jobs and found that about 60 percent identified themselves as workaholics who characteristically “feel guilty when taking time off.”

These self-identified workaholics reported positive and negative career consequences. For example, workaholics said they gave more effort than other workers, but they also felt more tension. They were more willing to help others, but were more likely to see co-workers as feeling entitled.

Hard worker or workaholic?

Director of Health Randy Jacque spends his days at Thompson Health in Canandaigua making sure his coworkers have tools they need to balance responsibilities at work and at home, while maximizing their productivity.

He’s quick to emphasize the important differences between being a hard worker, and being a workaholic.

“A person who works hard is someone who cares about their work, but they’re able to maintain a work/life balance,” Jacque said. “They maintain relationships, make time for family, and care for themselves with proper diet and exercise.”

Workaholics, on the other hand, tend to be more dysfunctional, he said.

“They work extra hard so they can control every aspect of the job,” said Jacque. “They’re concerned with making sure the job gets done to perfection — and the perfection part of it tends to make them work longer and harder than they need to.”

Impacts

The consequences of living without a work/life balance are both short-term and long-term.

Immediate impacts include escalating anxiety, fatigue, irritability and self-doubt, Jacque said. Workaholics may develop tunnel vision, short-term hypertension, and an inability to be a really good listener.

Long-term impacts are more severe.

“You’re going to have some relationship problems, hypertension, sleeplessness, depression, general inefficiency, and worrying,” said Jacque.

According to a study done in 1999 by the University of Carolina, couples in workaholic marriages tended to have twice the divorce rate as those who were in non-workaholic marriages.

On the flip side, Jacque said, individuals who achieve a level of work/life balance are often more energetic, productive and fulfilled; have a positive attitude and plenty of drive; and are able to sustain healthy relationships and physical and emotional health.

Page 2 of 4 - How they’re doing it

Two local business leaders are both high-octane workers and hard-driving employers.

Victor resident Skip Lehman is president of Mach 2 Management, Inc., a full-service event marketing company. His job has him logging 50 to 70 hours a week and racking up more than his share of frequent flyer miles. For him, pursuing a balanced schedule is a constant struggle.

“It’s tough because we have clients all over,” said Lehman. “Your time is never really your own any more, especially with smart phones and texting. But you have to make time for family things. You try to make sure you do the important things in life. That’s what it boils down to.”

John Malvaso’s schedule is similarly hectic. As president of Farmington-based FSI Systems — an electronics, hardware and software design company — Malvaso is somewhat of a plate-spinner, logging in 50 to 60 hours a week at FSI alone. In his off hours he’s president of the Farmington Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Business Council, and champion for Farmington’s Gateway Project. Add in various real estate ventures and it’s fair to say Malvaso’s got plenty of irons in the fire.

“I try to balance everything,” he said. “There are other things besides work, and you need to be able to take time off. You know when you’re not balancing — when you’re over-committed — because things start to fall between the cracks.”

One of the ways Malvaso tries to maintain that balance is through his favorite hobby: restoring classic cars.

“I have a pretty nice set-up for that,” said Malvaso. “I usually try to restore one car a year, which I drive in the Farmington parade. So that’s my target. I’ve got two this year I’m thinking of — one is a dune buggy, and another is a 1963 Corvair four-door sedan.”

A matter of management

Most often it’s the employers who set the tone in a workplace, and their view of work/life balance directly influences their employees.

“In some work cultures, people who take vacations and take care of themselves are seen as slackers,” said Jacque. “That is an issue that should be looked at, because those kinds of comments are destructive. If you’re taking time off, it’s not because you’re a slacker or have a lack of commitment.”

He urged employers to ask themselves two questions: Is the work getting done, and does the worker feel good about doing the work?

“Every culture profits from hard workers,” Jacque said, “but they don’t necessarily profit from workaholics. The successful group is one that has an equal concern for the productivity of the group and the person doing the work in the group. When those get out of balance, the organization begins to struggle.”

Page 3 of 4 - According to the Florida State University study, there are ways employers can guide the efforts of high-producing workers in positive directions.

First, leaders should meet with their hardest workers to find out what physical and social resources they need to get the job done, and then make these tools available when possible. Second, managers need to have more realistic expectations, the study revealed. Workaholics are often the company’s most productive employees — serving as the manager’s “go-to” worker when an important project surfaces or a deadline looms. Because of their value, managers have a tendency to run workaholics into the ground, promising a future chance to recharge that often never happens.

“Having realistic expectations that take into account both the work and the person doing the work is essential,” Hochwarter said in the study. “The warning signs of burnout are recognizable and, if ignored, they will eventually lead to unwanted outcomes.”

At Mach 2, Lehman’s management style with staff and interns reflects his own work-hard/play-hard quest.

“I sort of try to instill that same sort of work balance with all my kids (at Mach 2),” said Lehman. “When they work, they work very, very, hard for me. And if they need to take time off, we don’t keep score.”

Sometimes a little fun takes the edge off an intense pace, and at Mach 2 they’re ready for fun.

“Last year we did a weight loss contest from Labor Day through Christmas,” Lehman said. “Between us we lost 130 pounds. And in the center of my office is a pool table. Every once in awhile we order some pizza and play some pool.”

Making it work at work

In the same way workers need to have vacations and time off in order to be productive, they also need to take periodic breaks throughout the work day, Jacque said.

“When you’re trying to get something done, you can’t work constantly — you have to take breaks,” said Jacque. “There is a time at which your capability is going to diminish, and you need breaks to come back to the situation with a fresh mind. That way you can also prevent making mistakes.”

Ironically, health care workers are as likely as anyone to slip into unhealthy work patterns if they’re not vigilant.

“A lot of doctors actually work hard, but they’re still able to maintain their work/life balance,” said Jacque. “You’ll see them walking to work, taking time with their families, taking time at lunch or getting out of work on time. Some have their schedules set up so they have one afternoon off each week. Health care workers are like any other work force — they have to work hard to stay focused on their own health care.”

Page 4 of 4 - On the remedy side, Jacque recommends that employees step up and “create” a work/life balance in their work environments.

“Keep your work in perspective by surrounding yourself with things that remind you of places and people outside of work,” he said. “Build in ways you take care of yourself during your work day: Take a break for lunch, have a cup of coffee, do some stretching, take a walk, do some deep breathing, read something funny or inspirational, or call a family member or friend in need.”

The trick, Jacque said, is being able to integrate work and home.

“You will do some ‘work thinking’ at home, and some ‘home thinking’ at work, and that’s a good thing,” said Jacque. “We need to be able to not put everything on hold in one place or the other. We all need a sense of renewal, and it needs to happen every day.”

Lehman said he tries to remind himself often about the things that matter most.

“You really have to think about what’s important in life,” said Lehman. “In the overall scheme of things, don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t hold grudges. That negative energy will kill you.”